An injured forest ranger on a routine mission is saved by two off-the-grid survivalists. What is initially a welcome rescue grows more suspicious as the son and his renegade father reveal a cultish devotion to the forest. When their cabin is attacked by a strange being it’s clear there is a far greater threat in this unrelenting wilderness. (IMDB) Warning – there may be a couple of minor spoilers for GAIA in this review GAIA’s press release compares it to films such as Midsommar, Annihilation, the Ruins and The Descent. I enjoy a bit of earthy horror, so was instantly sold on the concept. Does it live up to the hype? Well, let’s have a peek between the trees… After sustaining an injury one of their traps, Ranger Gabi (Monique Rockman) is helped by Barend (Carel Nel) and his son Stefan (Alex van Dyk) two survivalists holed up in a simple cabin in the middle of a forest. When they are attacked by a strange creature in the middle of the night, Gabi is thrown into a nightmarish world of environmental horror that may, or may not, spell the end of humanity. With Barend’s sanity in question, Gabi plans to escape back to civilisation taking Stefan with her to show him the life he has missed out on. But, as the forces in The Forest grow stronger, so the opportunities to leave become fewer and both Barend and The Forest are keen to stop them.  As a title, ‘GAIA’ lays all the cards on the table for this ecological horror from Bouwer. From Greek mythology, Gaia is Mother Earth and the ancestral mother of all life. Gaia Theory proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to create a balanced ecosystem that is self-regulating through the synergistic relationship between the two (environmental theology lesson over). Humans should be part of this synergy, but one could argue that, at our point in history (the Anthropocene era referred to by Barend) we have broken off the relationship and Gaia isn’t too happy – hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. In GAIA, Gabi represents that schism between humanity and nature, the influence of the ‘civilised’ western world on the connection with nature; humans area virus in the system. While Barend and Stefan have been living in some semblance of balance with The Forest and the forces within, Gabi’s intrusion skews that balance and the relationship starts to break down. The very reason for her being with Barend and Stefan is her accidental tripping of one of their traps, breaking the rhythm of their lives which, up to that point, revolve around hunting and making small sacrifices of their quarry to survive. (That the sacrifices are left in a vaginal opening in an old tree is further testament to the symbolism involving Mother Earth.) The presence of a woman also awakens something in Stefan that further breaks the bonds between father and son, unsettling the delicate balance of their co-existence with The Forest and putting lives at risk; Gabi again being the representation of the disruptive influence of western civilisation, coming between father and son and between them and The Forest (GAIA).  As Gabi learns more about what is going on from Barend, it becomes clear that he worships the Forest and behaves like a prophet, foretelling the potential end of the human race as the corruption and decadence of the civilised world will eventually result in us paying heavily for our mistreatment of the natural world. Backstory relating to Barend’s deceased wife further cements the subtext of GAIA and Mother Forest, strengthening the bond that anchors Barend and Stefan to the woodland and reinforces Barend’s desire to stay. There is a clear message here and one we have heard before, but that doesn’t make it any less important – if you fuck with nature, nature is going to fuck with you.  Ultimately GAIA is a fight for survival for all involved, but for different reasons. Barend wants to retain the status quo of his existence within The Forest. Gabi wants to get back to her life and Stefan is caught between the two; the world he knows and the world he is being awakened to through Gabi’s appearance. Will the influence of the western, consumerist world destroy us (witness Barend’s reaction to social media when Gabi shows Stefan her cell phone) or will we learn our lesson and ‘get back to nature’? You’ll have to watch to find out.  GAIA is held together largely by three central characters. A fourth character, Gabi’s colleague Winston, ably-played by Anthony Oseyemi, doesn’t make it far beyond the early stages of the film, so the majority of the heavy lifting is left to Rockman, Nel and van Dyk. All three do an amazing job in a film with scant dialogue and an abundance of mystical, dreamlike imagery. Van Dyk has the least to say of the three but does so with a confidence that makes his awakening from loyal son to curious young man all the more believable. Rockman’s Gabi is strong and fearless but also a helpless fish out of water as she struggles to understand the strange world she has stumbled into; she may be a Ranger, but this would not have been part of the training. It is Nel’s portrayal of Barend, however, that perhaps steals the show and is he effortlessly convincing as he goes from saviour to madman with almost imperceptible changes. GAIA is listed on IMDB as DRAMA and FANTASY before HORROR and I think this is fair. It is clearly a horror film; we have people trapped and stalked by strange creatures in the night, infectious diseases and cataclysmic visions, but GAIA is more about unsettling the audience than throwing gore or jump scares at you. It has a bit of both, but ultimately it is a slow burning exploration of the relationship between the three leads and The Forest. I have seen reviews that describe GAIA as slow and boring. My opinion is very different. While there are no wild action sequences or fast paced chase scenes, GAIA pitches itself just right. There are rarely any scenes where there is nothing going on, but often the action is limited to a glance or simple interaction between two characters as the relationships develop and unravel. GAIA looks great too. My screener streamed in 4k and the detail in the image from Jorrie van der Walt was very impressive. The colours struck a good balance between portraying the wonder of nature against the darkness of The Forest. Although there is plenty going on at night, and in the dark, the image is always clear, and I never had any trouble seeing what was going on. The special effects are good for a film of what I expect was a lower budget, and I never felt they took me “out of the film” or distracted from what was on screen. I am always impressed what can be achieved on smaller budgets. The soundtrack from Pierre-Henri Wicomb is subtle and understated, simply underscoring the action on screen without becoming over-bearing. It was the score, as much as some of the imagery, that remind me of Annihilation in places and just added to the unsettling nature of the film. If I have to level any criticism at GAIA, I would suggest that it is not entirely original in terms of its themes and its ecological message. However, GAIA delivers that message effectively and with impressive performances. Some of the character decisions can be questionable, but you can level that criticism at just about any film and, to be honest, the characters are in strange situations, so normal logic goes out of the window in my eyes. There are a lot of mushrooms and spores flying around in this film, so we may never be quite sure of everyone’s mental state! There were also a couple of moments that didn’t quite hold up to deeper scrutiny to me, but to discuss in any more detail would result in heavy spoilers. All I would say, is go for it and just let the film, the imagery and the message wash over you for 90 minutes. Thought-provoking and intelligent, GAIA works on several levels. One thing I am always wary of with films like this is how much they will rely on symbolism and knowledge of history/folklore/legend. GAIA again gets it about right. While I suspect I have missed some of the more subtle messages and symbolism within the film, the over-arching cautionary tale of the impact we are having on the environment is there for all to see. Not having to go onto Google for an explanation as the credits roll is always a bonus for me! With a film like GAIA you can enhance your understanding by doing your own research, but you don’t have to in order to enjoy the film. For example, a quick Google of mushroom symbolism will give you meanings such as good luck, longevity, energy, prosperity, rebirth, good or bad transformation and enlightenment, all of which play a part in GAIA’s story. If you held a collection of poisonous mushroom spores to my head, I’d say this was solid 6.5/10 for me. If you are looking for blood and guts action, you have come to the wrong place. GAIA is not for everyone but, if you enjoy slow burning, ecological horror, then I would recommend a viewing. TODAY ON THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR WEBSITE [BOOK REVIEW] THE DEATH OF AN AUTHOR BY S.L. EDWARDSBLURRING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN WORLDS, HORROR AUTHORS WHO WRITE YA AND ADULT HORROR: PART 3 the heart and soul of horror movie review websites |
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